Chucky, it sounds like you have the same problem I did on one of my cards (could not receive premiums on it). It turned out to be a low signal problem. The low signal was preventing the "hit" from reaching the cards.

The solution was to go straight to the wall, and increase the signal in other ways too. Make sure your installer checks the signal before he even begins, then have dispatch send the hit again...

Thanks, I'll make sure he checks that. I did have them hit the card once with the splitter removed, but that didn't help. Maybe the installer will have some tricks to improve the signal. Or maybe he'll just give me a working card.

The weird thing is that the test channels work just fine when I check them through the cablecard menu, so the card must be working. But when I go to those channels on live TV, they're just black.

My TiVo subscription will be 2/3 of the way through the 30-day period where I can cancel without penalty before Charter even ATTEMPTS to install the Cable Cards. I'm coming to cable from ten years with DirecTV. So far Charter cable is really losing in the comparison.

Hey johnwillo. Don't give up. The same thing happened to me with Charter here in So Cal. Showed up with a set-top box and preceeded to tell me to get the box instead of the TiVo. I ended up bi#ching to the tech guy who showed up and he was able to get me the cards the following day. If you must, I say complain to the guy that showed up instead of going through the automated hell. Good luck and report back when you get your S3 connected.

snip............This is the first I heard that Charter would not support TiVo at all.

snip............ This also appears to confirm that the SA 8300 HD can be purchased for $ 1,000 and that is where TiVo probably got their $ 800 price plus $ 200 for the lifetime upgrade.

Then you didn't read this thread or many other threads. Front line CSR are saying that, but we (those who are reading threads) know they are coming around, and do after tellng them aobut the FCC ruling, or getting a supervisor.

Sorry, but appers to confirm that is where they got that price is reaching, far reaching.

P.S. Your the guy with stock in SA boxes huh? or bought Tivo on margin, or whatever you call it when you want a company to fail.
ALL (ALLMOST ALL) YOUR POSTS CONTAIN SA BOXES. I SMELL A RAT.

Well...
I have to say that I am "somewhat" satisfied with my cablecard experience so far. I am finding a few failed recordings (black screens) and every once in a while when I tune to an HD channel, I get the CableCard Info Screen.

Here's an interesting Charter event that may help someone in the same situation:

Well, after my install issues, my Tivo S3 has been great for over a week. I turned in my Moxi "P.O.S" on Thursday last week.

Well, saturday I woke up to no ESPN HD. In fact, I had lost HDNet, HDNET Movies, ESPN HD, Discovery HD, TNTHD and Universal HD. I still had local digitals and ShoHD, HBOHD, CinHD.

I contacted Charter "customer service". The lady proceeded to tell me, after repeated on-holds, that I could not get those above channels without having the DVR. I responded that she was wrong and could she please ask someone else. Finally, I asked to speak to her supervisor. The supervisor was able to get the missing channels back in a couple of minutes. It seems that there was some code needed on my account that allowed me to have th HD Tier. Once she added the code, the channels were added back and I was whole again.

I am so OVER Charter. Their "customer service' is anything except service. I have been lectured, transferred and told no by them so much I really hate them.

Well...
I have to say that I am "somewhat" satisfied with my cablecard experience so far. I am finding a few failed recordings (black screens) and every once in a while when I tune to an HD channel, I get the CableCard Info Screen.

For the most part things are going well. Picture quality is great.

Plunger... did you have any of these type of problems as well?

Hi ckoble,
Read my comments in this thread, http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...5&page=1&pp=30 , itís about random channel loss, also I get that cable card screen from the cable company for 792 only, tnt hi def channel and donít get it, tnt hi def that is, but do get the regular tnt. OK since no basketball games now. More latter.

So my fix-it appointment was scheduled for 8-12 this morning. The guy shows up at 11:40 or so. He's clueless. He fiddles around for a while checking connections and serial numbers. Calls in a couple of times and has them re-hit the cards. He calls a supervisor tech, who doesn't have much advice except check the signal. He checks the signal, it's very good. At about the 45-minute mark of this fun, we are about to try a new card when the other guy calls back. Guess what? All the cards are bad. Or there's a problem at the head end. Or both. "We were about to try a new card," my guy says. "Should we do that?" "You can," the supervisor replies, "but it won't work."

So apparently there are head-end problems that are being worked on. It might be a couple of days, or maybe a week, before it works right. At that point, I guess, we will see if the cards need replacing.

Why did I have to take a morning off work, and the tech spend an hour at my house, just to find out something they must have known for days?

As a small consolation, the tech gave me his supervisor's phone number and told me to call him to find out the scoop before I schedule another appointment.

So the Charter tech arrived at 9:30 and left at 12:30 with no luck. He seemed very knowledgable, and said he'd done four other installs. Two with success, two no success (one of them being mine) thus far.

He paired the cards with dispatch. That went fine. Data numbers matched and all looked good. Until ... the cards starting searching for channels. Then the box continually hung at the BSOD -- this blue screen being the searching for channels spiral that keeps spinning.

Anyhow. After 4 hours of them trying to hit the card, dispatch called and told him (as the poster above me was told) that there are problems at the office and that they're working on them.

I was told there are dozens of people know that want cable card because of the Tivo, and that Charter is being inundated with angry subscribers. I was also told I would be getting a credit due to the inconveniece. Yeah, right.

Conclusion: The tech was cool. His name is Alfredo. He said he'd call me back as soon as something was worked out. That's it. Nothing more he could do at the moment.

I'll keep ya'll posted.

Chater does suck, yes. But they're the only game in Long Beach, so it's better to be nice to these guys than slam 'em. I think they're working on it ... but weren't up to speed and ready for this windfall.

P.S. He also to me the Moxi boxes are complete piles of crap and that most of them come back. But we already knew that.

P.S. Your the guy with stock in SA boxes huh? or bought Tivo on margin, or whatever you call it when you want a company to fail.
ALL (ALLMOST ALL) YOUR POSTS CONTAIN SA BOXES. I SMELL A RAT.

I happen to own an S2 with a Lifetime subscription. I have retired it to my crawl space and am only using Scientific Atlanta boxes at the moment. I have one SD TV with an SA SD DVR. I have two HD TV's with one hooked up to a SA 8300 HD and another hooked up to a SA non-DVR box. I have waited for Charter to send me a second SA 8300 HD and they cannot get if for me. It is OUT OF STOCK. In 10 days they will try again for me.

The technician who came over to install the SA 8300 HD came without one and said they were unobtainable at the moment.

I did call Charter about Cable Cards for a possible S3 purchase by me. They refused to even consider installing Cable Cards in a TiVo. They said the office I deal with has refused to support TiVo entirely.

I will probably wait for an S4 if it is able to work similar to the S2 and not require any cooperation from the Cable Providers. The big problem seems to be that the S3 requires Cable Cards. If the S3 worked similar to the S2 but had HD, the problem would be OVER.

I did call Charter about Cable Cards for a possible S3 purchase by me. They refused to even consider installing Cable Cards in a TiVo. They said the office I deal with has refused to support TiVo entirely.

You do realize they can not refuse you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchW

If the S3 worked similar to the S2 but had HD, the problem would be OVER.

I'm gearing up for my "the cablecards should be fixed by Tuesday, so we'll come out on Wednesday morning" appt. I have high hopes since Charter assured me that by Tuesday (today) that all of the "bad" cablecards (in San Gabriel Valley area) would be reprogrammed at the warehouse and would be good to go. I'll post again tomorrow after the guy leaves.

Slowdrag... if you are in Long Beach... there is hope PlungerMan and I are the two in Long Beach that your tech was referring to. They DO want to get this to work for you. When Alfredo came out to my place, he spent almost 4 hours working with the tech guys at the head end. Eventually, they got it working (on the third visit). If Alfredo is on the case for you... he WILL take care of you.

As far as their promise of a credit... I have to tell you that I was VERY satisfied with their credit offer -- it was very generous for the two or so weeks that I was inconvenienced.

I happen to own an S2 with a Lifetime subscription. I have retired it to my crawl space and am only using Scientific Atlanta boxes at the moment. I have one SD TV with an SA SD DVR. I have two HD TV's with one hooked up to a SA 8300 HD and another hooked up to a SA non-DVR box. I have waited for Charter to send me a second SA 8300 HD and they cannot get if for me. It is OUT OF STOCK. In 10 days they will try again for me.

The technician who came over to install the SA 8300 HD came without one and said they were unobtainable at the moment.

I did call Charter about Cable Cards for a possible S3 purchase by me. They refused to even consider installing Cable Cards in a TiVo. They said the office I deal with has refused to support TiVo entirely.

I will probably wait for an S4 if it is able to work similar to the S2 and not require any cooperation from the Cable Providers. The big problem seems to be that the S3 requires Cable Cards. If the S3 worked similar to the S2 but had HD, the problem would be OVER.

Dude, get a clue! At this point you should crawl into the crawlspace with your S2 and give up posting to this thread. You offer NO valuable information--- you don't own an S3. You love your SA boxes. You are waiting for an S4 so you can hook 2 cable boxes up to it to get digital encrypted cable. We now know your entire story! Give us all a rest and go to the SA Explorer 8300 thread and sing the praises of their DVR there. We're tired of it!

octomonkee, you are getting the installers to come out tomorrow? That is great because I am in the SG area and its the Irwindale office that is coming out (I believe). Is that the same with you? If that is the case, then I am happy to hear that they are taking care of the bad CCs and hopefully on Wednesday, your TiVo will be up and running. Good luck and post back with your results. Very interested in this one.

ckoble and PlungerMan, I have to agree with you guys in the fact that MitchW should keep the posts to only Charter AND S3 problems. MitchW, not to be rude, but if you really want to use your SA boxes, please get a new thread because this is seriously only about people who have purchased an S3 and are having issues with them and Charter. Good luck with your S4 though.

Even though the dispatch supervisor assured me that the cablecards would be fixed by yesterday, and that my appointment today would go smoothly, I just got a call from Charter dispatch to let me know that nobody is coming out for my appt. Apparently, they are having a problem getting the cards "reprogrammed." Left another voicemail for Dispatch Mgr who is mysteriously "out" today.

Success in Rochester, Minn. Tech showed up around 9 a.m. (8-12 window). Nice guy named Dan. Very helpful and dedicated. His first Tivo Series3, but he had read about them. He said Charter in Rochester had already handled a few Series3. That made me feel better. Got card 1 going right away, working with a gal named Jen at the head. Card 2 was more trouble, even though they got it going. Jen says it's not "holding" the settings. She's going to be talking with Motorola about it today and calling me tomorrow with an update. Both cards gave the 161-4 "error" which I knew was actually good and told him so. All in all, a good day!

EDIT: As I said above, Jen promised to call me back the next day and I'm happy to report she did. She had had a problem when the CC was first installed with it not "holding" the data. When she hit it the next day, however, it held it. So I guess that means both cards are good to go. She did call Motorola and turn in a "ticket" on the problem, though. I give both Jen and Dan (the install guy) good marks for their diligence.

Last edited by shirefox : 10-07-2006 at 10:41 PM.
Reason: more info...

Congrats Larry and shirefox. Glad to know that at least yours in MA is working.

octomonkee, sorry to hear about your continual ordeal with Charter. When you called the Dispatch Manager, did the message ever say like when he/she would be back in the office? The tech supervisor that I called actually said exactly when he was in which was nice since I wouldn't have to go through the run around. Good luck and I hope you will have more success later on. I think if I can't get the cards working this time around, I'll just leave it so that I am able to record regular channels and later on, when the whole programming issue settles, I'll call them again to swap out the cards.

Have any of you Pasadena-area folks with at least one working cable card noticed any of the DT/HD versions of the local broadcast channels have picture and sound breakup? For me, these channels are in the 781-789 range, and most of them are okay. But the HD version of channel 7 (KABC) and 5 (KTLA?) are terrible. I don't know if this is just another symptom of the cablecard problems, or something to do with the broadcast.

I'm thinking of reattaching the antenna to get these channels more reliably.

At the moment I am waiting for my cable guy to arrive with the cablecards. My time slot is 3-5, so hopefully he shows up. I am in the San Gabriel Valley area. Man, I hope this goes smoothly. I kind of wish I had seen this thread before I bought the unit. I rushed to buy it to make sure I will be able to transfer the lifetime subscription from my old series one box.

Today I finally had a followup service visit to fix the problem. Here is what happened:

Since my previous post, I discovered two additional factors: 1) there were a total of about 8 digital and 4 HD channels that would not work (tune in for a few seconds then drop to gray/black cablecardID/hostID screen; 2) the cable card CP info screen showed an authorization status of "Waiting for CP Auth" on both cards. I suspected that the source of the problem was improper authorization.

When the cable guy got here I demonstrated the problem and he called someone at the head end. He then got a call on his other phone and while he was gone, I started talking to "Al" at the head end. After re-confirming mac addresses, CableCard IDs, and hostIDs, he did some investigation and actually could see which channels were authorized to the cablecards and which weren't. He said it was clearly an authorization code problem, and called someone in dispatch. After about 15 minutes of time he asked me to pop out the cards and re-insert them one at a time. He then issued resets each time, and BINGO, the channels started working and the authorization status changed to "CP Authorized".

He told me that there are different package authorization codes for cable cards than for digital boxes and that the CSRs OFTEN punch in the wrong ones. I told him that the frustating thing about this experience is that in all of times I called charter they were unwilling to connect me to someone like him to be able to troubleshoot the problem --- instead all they would do is schedule a tech to come out. Clearly Charter is to blame for providing almost NO training on cable cards to their people -- I've got to believe that they are paying for it by all of the unnecessary truck rolls.

So I am thrilled that the channels that I cared about now work, but in checking all of the stations I found 1 problem. Channel 197 (Hallmark) gives me a blank screen. Al was stumped by this, but suspected that something else is going on with that channel. It was recently moved from 49 (analog) to 197 (digital) and may not be coded properly for cablecards (it works with a digital settop box). Since I've never watched that channel, I don't really care, but it is something they are going to investigate.

So the lessons from this experience are:

1. Check all channels
2. Make sure that authorization status shows "CP Authorized"
3. Make sure the CSR enters "cablecard" codes not "digital box codes"
4. You need to persevere to get to one of the VERY few people at the cable company who actually know something!

My experience with Charter phone CSRs is all over the map. I call for them to hit the card and some of them are seem to have no problem, and others argue with me that there is no such thing and that you can't authorize a cablecard and I tell them you can, I've done it and they keep arguing with me until I want to climb through the phone and strangle the stupid motherfu%^@#$2345 459u r3 klf;drjkffaszds fsda szddszfaes ------------------------------------------------------------

...
..

Anyway, next time I call, I'm going to make the person check all of the package codes.

BTW, the fastest way I've found to get to the service folks is to call in and go through the "add service" options, then tell the CSR that I want to authorize a new cablecard, and then they transfer me to the people who can (sometimes) do it. Going through the "technical problems" menu is just too frustrating.

Have any of you Pasadena-area folks with at least one working cable card noticed any of the DT/HD versions of the local broadcast channels have picture and sound breakup? For me, these channels are in the 781-789 range, and most of them are okay. But the HD version of channel 7 (KABC) and 5 (KTLA?) are terrible. I don't know if this is just another symptom of the cablecard problems, or something to do with the broadcast.

I'm thinking of reattaching the antenna to get these channels more reliably.

ChuckyBox, I'm having that exact same problem (Pasadena, here). I have one cablecard installed in slot 2. It's bad, and Charter is supposed to come and replace it and add the 2nd card as well...if that ever happens!!!

Anyway, as it stands I only get channels below 100 and the local HD channels. Both HD channel 5 (785) and HD channel 7 (787) are pixelated and horrible. I can't even watch them. It's like a pixelated, choppy, freezing, audio breakup, mess. I was kind of hoping that the "fixed" cablecards would fix the problem. As it stands, I've missed a few shows because of it, so now I'm recording the standard definition versions ( ).

Anyway, as it stands I only get channels below 100 and the local HD channels. Both HD channel 5 (785) and HD channel 7 (787) are pixelated and horrible. I can't even watch them. It's like a pixelated, choppy, freezing, audio breakup, mess. I was kind of hoping that the "fixed" cablecards would fix the problem. As it stands, I've missed a few shows because of it, so now I'm recording the standard definition versions ( ).

When my cards were first installed the only channels that I could get were the same as yours: below 100 and local HDs. This was a result of the "dispatch" people entering the incorrect authorization codes. The installer called them back, and, for me, the codes the new codes entered partially worked - I was still missing about a dozen stations.

As I posted above, a Charter head end engineer told me that a common problem is that out of ignorance the dispatch people apply digital set top box codes rather than cablecard codes. After the correct codes were finally entered, he had me pop out the cards, reinsert them one at a time, and issued resets each time. I had no cablecards replaced and that fixed the problem. The guy at the head end could actually see exactly which channels I could get or not get on each card

BTW, I am located in Massachusetts.

Regarding poor reception/pixelization, I would suspect that that is a different problem, possibly related to signal quality. Are you using RG6 cable or do you have RG59 common in older cable wirings? The cable guys should be able to troubleshoot that one.

Well, I just wasted my afternoon. I talked to customer service after no one showed up, and they informed me that the service call was canceled without notifying me because they didn't have any working cablecards. So now I'm rescheduled for tomorrow.

This better mean that they will have properly working cablecards tomorrow.

Anyway, as it stands I only get channels below 100 and the local HD channels. Both HD channel 5 (785) and HD channel 7 (787) are pixelated and horrible. I can't even watch them. It's like a pixelated, choppy, freezing, audio breakup, mess. I was kind of hoping that the "fixed" cablecards would fix the problem. As it stands, I've missed a few shows because of it, so now I'm recording the standard definition versions ( ).

That's good to know -- it sounds like we're seeing the same thing. Not that we can get Charter to do anything about it until we get the cablecard situation resolved.

We lost Veronica Mars last night, so now I'm in the doghouse with my "early adopter" antics, so I'm going back to the antenna for those channels until I get this sorted out.